King of Pop, now and forever?

Michael Jackson was many things to many people. A great musician, a troubled man, a businessman with the ability to make hoards of money, and a man who could spend money as fast as he made it. All are true, to varying degrees, but one thing may stand out above them all. He is still the King of Pop.

After all only a king could pull off what the Jackson estate is doing. Sony has now inked a deal of no less than $200 million, potentially $250 million, over 7 years with the Jackson estate. While that would not make the top 10 list of LIVING entertainers (actors in particular) it does make the top 20 I believe.

In fact this deal raises Michael Jackson from the top 3 position on the Forbes highest paid dead celebrity list, to almost assuredly 1st. With $90 million already made, plus the proceeds from This Is It, and now the Sony deal I would imagine he tops $350 million. Probably by quite a bit.

Elvis by comparison only had $55 million. Tupac, Biggie, and other notable dead singers that continued to have records published after their deaths don't even make the list.

Hell, this deal for the Jackson estate is so big even living celebrities are taking a back seat. Jay-Z only got $120 million. Maddona had $120 million. This doesn't even touch on the music library rights that the Jackson estate owns, worth roughly $2 billion (which includes rights to songs of Elvis and the Beatles among others).

When you add it all up, it really does become clear that Michael Jackson is (even after death), and for a long time to come will be, the King of Pop.

Top quotes of 2009

The annual Yale Book of Quotations list has come out and it is a revealing look at America in 2009. The top 10 quotes of the year, as selected by Yale, cover health care, advertising, waterboarding, a heroic action, a blast of nonsense, and a shock to the nation among it's topics.

The top quote as selected by Yale associate librarian Fred Shapiro is not one I would have selected. It may be one of the least known quote among the list. But at Yale it tops the list because

"That struck me as embodying the friction and polarization on the role of government." - Fed Shapiro

The number 1 quote is:

"Keep your government hands off my Medicare." Speaker at health care reform town hall meeting in Simpsonville, S.C., commenting on the government-created Medicare program, quoted by The Washington Post on July 28

I can understand the thought behind the quote, and I agree with it. But it still does not ring number 1 to me.

I would likely select the nuber 4 choice as the top of the list:

"You lie!" Wilson's shouted retort to Obama's address before a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9

Not only because it is a first to my knowledge, and an affront to the Office of the Presidency, but because it turns out it was true. Still it was an act that should never have occured, the apology that followed seemed sincere enough.

Number 3 on the list is one that is so popular it reminds me of a catchphrase that defined the 80's (Where's the beef?):

"There's an app for that." Apple's advertising slogan for the iPhone

A quote from early on in the year was perhaps the bravest and most heroic of quote all year:

"We're going to be in the Hudson." Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, responding to air traffic controllers asking on which runway he preferred to land US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan. 15 before he landed in the Hudson River.

And of course no one can forget the gaffe of President Obama that revealed an insensitivity and distrust of authority that honestly seems to abide in all people of color in this nation - normally with reason:

"The Cambridge police acted stupidly." Obama, commenting on a white police officer's arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his home in Cambridge, Mass., at a news conference July 22

The rest of the quotes really don't seem that big to me. They are either too obscure to have been widely known (Jesse Ventura's quote), or just so damn stupid it isn't worth repeating (Kanye West).

If I had to pick a couple more top quotes I might go with

"I believe Michael was murdered, I felt that from the start. Not just one person was involved, rather it was a conspiracy of people." - Latoya Jackson on the death of her brother Michael, Jul 13, 2009. She turned out to be at least partially right.

"The officer leaned (in), was straddling over him and pointed his gun directly into the backside and shot (Grant)." - Attorney John Burris describing the Jan 1, 2009 murder of Oscar Grant by then-BART officer Johannes Meserhle. The trial of the case has been delayed 1 year.

"What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?" - House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), July 27 2009. Perhaps the clearest explaination why Government and the economy is screwed up.

Those are some of my top quotes of 2009. What would you pick as the top quote to define the year?

Golden Globes 2010 nominees

Well it's that time of year again. Yes, the nominees for Golden Globes are out, and our first indications of Oscar Award nominees is in. The big question I have every year at this time is has anyone even seen anything that got a nomination?

In movies the top films are:

'Avatar' - too much hype to live up to

'The Hurt Locker' - $16 million, people saw this?

'Inglourious Basterds' - $120 million

'Precious' - $38 million - the winner, it just tugs on liberal heartstrings more than Pitt or Clooney make them swoon

'Up in the Air' - $4 million, who saw this besides reviewers?

Best Comedy/Musical

'500 Days of Summer' - $32 million, seriously?

'The Hangover' - $277 million, it should win but won't

'It's Complicated' - Meryl Streep has to win for something, and it has Alec Baldwin (liberal favorite) and Steve Martin

'Julie & Julia' - $94 million

'Nine' - they're kidding right?

Best Animated

'Coraline' - $75 million

'Fantastic Mr. Fox' - $30 million

'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' - $122 million

'The Princess and the Frog' - $28 million - most likely to win since it's the "first" Black Disney Princess, thank you Obama effect

'Up' - $293 million

And then there is television. While I can't see how the television shows did for the year, I can say that if I were to pick the best shows I'd wind up with NCIS, Eureka, Torchwood and Doctor Who. Of course the last 2 won't count since they are British. Still there is nothing that beats them from what I have seen on tv, especially broadcast. But give it a bit of time and there will be an American copy just like Life on Mars, Hustle and The Office among others.

Best Television

'Big Love'

'Dexter'

'House' - If I had to guess, based on what I have seen, this should be it

'Mad Men' - The sure winner

'True Blood'

Best TV Comedy/Musical (I haven't seen any of these. Would Eureka be comedy?)

'30 Rock' - the winner, Alec Baldwin strikes again

'Entourage'

'Glee'

'Modern Family'

'The Office'

Best TV miniseries

'Grey Gardens'

'Into the Storm'

'Little Dorrit'

'Taking Chance'

'Georgia O'Keeffe'
(Not one of these matches Torchwood's Children of Earth in my opinion. Too bad it's British)

The surprises for me have to be that Michael Jackson's This Is It is not up for a Globe. How this is possible I can't imagine. I am sure that it will win something at the Oscar Awards though. And yes, it's just because he is dead.

The Soloist also missed out. Which is a surprise since it was rumored to have been an early Awards contender. With Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. you would think it would be a shoe in. Then again, the damage from Foxx earlier this year may have been a factor.

On the television front, how did the remake of The Prisoner miss out?? Though it warped a bit of the original shows premise, it was a quality miniseries. It had big stars and I think Sir Ian McKellan was a solid Number 2. Plus the twist at the end was mostly original and unexpected.

But like always, the nominees seem to have little to do with the view from the public.

Michael Jackson can win the Oscar

MJ win and Oscar? But he's dead. That might be one of the first thoughts some might have. Another could be that he doesn't have a film - but he does.

This Is It, is the documentary styled film created from over 100 hours of video during the preparations and practice for the planned world tour by Michael Jackson. The tour as we all know was heralded to be his comeback, and by all estimates it seems it would have been.

So far the film has wowed critics, and fans. Already the film has brought in $20 million in just one day. Considering it's documentary and entertainment stance, plus a running length of almost 2 hours, that's pretty good. But an Oscar?

Yes the buzz is out there. There are 10 choices for the Best Film Oscar now, so other unquestioned worthy films can be included without problem. The expansion was to address the fact that Hollywood has completely no idea what fans find to be Oscar worthy - and there are few fan favorites like Jackson. The quality of the film is high, the story-telling emotive. As many have said, it provides Jackson the comeback that he likely would have done if he lived.

Plus there is precedence. Most recently for Heath Ledger. And while I got lots of grief form my statement that he did not deserve the Oscar, and that it was given to him just because he was dead (which is all true), it did set the stage to give an Oscar to Jackson. There is more than enough genuine emotion and angst over his death to justify his winning just about any and every award an entertainer can get.

Now if this were just talk about an Oscar for Best Documentary, or Editing, or even Best Direction, I'd be all for it. But they are talking about Best Picture. Which I'm less in love with. Because I judge that by a simple standard. If he were alive would the film get the same attention? The answer is no.

Be honest. It might get awards and attention, but not Best Picture. It would never happen. Hollywood is far to snobbish, and while $20 million in a day is great it's not Spiderman. Still you can never account for the death effect. Ledger proved that in droves.

So will the Oscars be yet another tribute to Michael Jackson? Well it would once again demonstrate the hold that everything Jackson had over the globe. It again would prove that this is the undisputed King of Pop of ALL time. And if you ask almost any of his multi-generational fanbase, he deserves it.

If I had to bet, the odds would be maybe 7 gets you 5 in his favor.

Pay for the dead

Ok, here is a question for the fanatics out there. Think of every celebrity that has died, ever. Now tell me which one made the most money last year.

Yes, believe it or not someone actually cares about this. And they keep records of this over at Forbes. They have an annual list of who is the top dead celeb. I have to imagine the economy, and dwindling circulation in the industry, is seriously getting to Forbes.

But since the subject has come up like a re-animated corpse from a graveyard, I will deal with it.

Who could it be? Elvis? Michael Jackson? Anna Nicole Smith?

Well if you thought it was Smith you seriously are a fanatic and far to obsessed, much like many parts of the media that still probe her life and death well after the fact. But it wasn't current craze, Michael Jackson either. In fact the celeb wasn't even American.

It was Yves Saint Laurent, a french fashion designer and one of the few reasons to think of France positively. His estate made a whopping $350 million. Not bad at all for a dead guy.

Number 2 on the list is not really fair as it's 2 people combined. Rodgers & Hammerstein. They made $235 million, and some people thought showtunes were dead.

Michael Jackson shows up in third place with $90 million. But somehow I think he will be moving up very quickly. Especially if rumors of the movie made from video of his last dress rehearsal performance winning any kind of Oscar comes true. More more on that in a separate post.

Elvis Presley, the king of the 50's and notorious for stealing songs from Black performers and calling them his own, made $55 million. I expect his numbers to drop steadily as his fanbase is aging rapidly.

JRR Tolkein comes up next. His trilogy (actually 4 books if you count the Hobbit) and the excellent movie conversions have been around for decades. Of those on this list I find this the most positive statment that some people still read (besides you my readers) and appreciate good art. $50 million

Charles Schultz may not be a name most will recall of hand. Definitely my younger readers are unlikely to recognize the name. But old and young alike will have no problem recognizing one of the most famous creations of Schultz, Snoopy. Immortalized in newspapers, television specials, and now the image of MetLife, this character is so embeded in American culture even rap had to imitate it. $35 million

The 3rd singer on the list is one of the keys to the British invasion. Yes that means John Lennon of the Beatles. The yellow Submarine just keeps moving along and earned Lennon a post-humous $15 million.

Probably my favorite on the list has to be Dr. Seuss. Like millions, if not tens of millions, I can still recite some of his stories that I loved best (I'm really good with Green Eggs and Ham). And if you have to see his work rather than read it, which I think all kids should read, then stick with the Grinch That Stole Christmas and avoid at all costs the horrible conversion of the Cat in the Hat. $15 million (likely due to Mike Myers).

One of my inspirations while growing up will likely suprise some people buyt is next on the list. Albert Einstein. Yes, one of the greatest minds ever made the list though he was hardly a celebrity by today's standards (as low as they are). But the power of pure thought still must be respected. $10 million

Last of the top 10 is another writer. Michael Crichton just made enough to clear the next couple of guys on the list. He comes in just under double digits with $9 million.

Other notables on the list include the incredible Jimi Hendricks with $8 million.

So it doesn't have to be Halloween for the dead to rise it seems.

Michael Jackson joins Tupac and Elvis sadly

There are some things in life you see coming from a mile away. Sometimes it doesn’t even need to be your life. With the sudden death of Michael Jackson you knew that one of 2 things would happen: People would claim he wasn’t dead and this was all staged or that he was murdered.

Now I am not going to say that the man was not killed. I definitely don’t know enough to say this. But I have to say that I have my doubts. Lots of them.

That does not mean that others have those same doubts. LaToya Jackson is quoted as having said

“Michael WAS murdered," declared La Toya, 53. "And we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive.”

Well in part I can see her point. Alive Jackson owed some $400 million dollars to investors. He was otherwise in debt. But he did have a vast array of music publishing rights. The Beatles catologue comes to mind.

Still, how would some publicly unknown group of people gain access to those rights? Which I am sure are part of the assets that Jackson passed on to his children?

LaToya is also quoted as stating that $2 million in cash and jewlery is missing. Which could be a motivation for murder. Though it would seem more likely that in the confusion surrounding his death, anyone with access to the Jackson home might have been able to take advantage and steal lots of things. It definitely does not seem like a reason to kill him, and not in the manner in which he died.

But all of this feeds into the conspiracy theories circling the net. As early as June 30th, on at least one blog I am aware of, people were making radical claims and associating them with the death of Jackson. So it is likely that as things move forward we are going to hear more.

I expect to hear that it was the pharmacuetical industry, Sir Paul McCartney, the investors that paid him $400 million, muslims, people who don’t like muslims, the doctors supplying him with drugs, aliens, the Queen, Scotland Yard, and others I can’t even begin to guess at.

Maybe Michael Jackson was killed. It is not beyond reasonable doubt at this moment. But I imagine that no matter what is found and proven, there will never be an end to the rumors and theories. Which is a sad thing to see happening, especially after such a tragic event.

Remembering Michael Jackson

I was speaking with friends yesterday and today about the sudden death of Michael Jackson and we recalled many things. I want to take a moment to share some of those thoughts with you.

I can recall being a very young child and hearing ABC 123 from the Jackson 5. To this day just thinking of the title of that song instantly brings up the memory of that song, hearing MJ’s voice in my mind, and the summer in the 70’s. It’s a good memory.



That’s something that I think most of us can say. Hearing some of our favorite songs by Michael Jackson brings us back to memories of our youth, or even more recent days, that are pleasant and fun. Not every singer can do that, not every song. But he did it many times.

I remember that I bought the Ben album back in the days. It was the second album I ever bought. The first was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. I recall that album to this day. It was sweet and melodic. It really just touched a cord.

I also recall being pissed at him during the 80’s. I had a girlfriend that was absolutely in love with him. Even more than me at the time. I’m sure other men had a similar competition. One that MJ never knew of, and one that none of us mere men could ever win.



My friends and I noticed something while watching all the news on Michael Jackson’s death. Videos from across his life were being shown split-screen as commentators spoke. And with no delay, with complete agreement, we were able to place every single song the videos were showing. That’s without any sound. No matter how old the video clip or music video.

Imagine the impact he has made that people of multiple generations can sit and see a visual snippet and know the exact song, and generally the year, without ever hearing a word. Something we didn’t even realize we knew until that moment.

Another friend noted that Michael Jackson is the progression of the great singers. There was Elvis, then the Beatles, and now MJ. Looking forward, there is no one yet that comes close to the talent, showmanship, and longevity Jackson had. And I can’t imagine, in a world of throw-away entertainers and American Idol, if anyone like this will come again.



The entire industry of music videos needs to celebrate Michael Jackson. I expect nothing less than a full run of every video and music clip of Jackson singing since his first televised appearance in the Jackson 5 on MTV. They owe him that.

Were it not for the foresight of Jackson, and his commitment to providing fans a complete entertainment experience, music videos of today would not exist. Jackson made mini-movies. He extended the length of time a video could be, he raised the bar on quality, on the production itself. Thriller was not a music video, it was a story. Billie Jean was a story. Remember The Time was a short film.



Before Jackson was making music videos, they were jumbles of catchy imagery that may have had nothing to do with anything. Once he got involved, we got an art form. And MTV was smart enough to break the color barrier they had for every single video he ever did.

Another friend noticed the incredible impact of Michael Jackson. Thinking back through the years of coverage, did you notice that ANYTHING he did was news. If he wore a new piece of clothing it was news. The sparkled socks (which respectfully Donnie Osmond did first – but Jackson did it bigger), the single glove, his hair, the outfits he wore (on stage or off). Hell, MJ just leaving Neverland was good enough to get 30 seconds of news airtime. No one is that big, just him.

When you think of the career of Jackson you have to think big. He started trends in fashion – basically all the clothes of the 80’s. He broke racial barriers world wide – there was no where he could not appear, and people of every description sold-out stadiums to see him. He broke industry standards – almost always having the biggest contracts, Grammy Awards, limits on music video lengths, 750 million records sold, 13 top 100 hits for a single artist, and on and on. He created dance crazes – though he was inspired by James Brown, he had the world trying to imitate his moves and Moonwalk – even to this day.



His music is so ingrained in the world that he is one of the top sampled artists ever. People of all ages have at least one favorite song from throughout his career. Every entertainer since the 80’s has tried to imitate some if not all of his artistry. Every entertainer that is a person of color has dreamed of matching even part of his success, and use his career as a guide path for their own.

All of this came at a high price though. He never grew up, at least not properly. He was reportedly shy. He was reclusive. He was likely a pedophile. He was beyond eccentric (though parts of his tabloid eccentricity may have been his own manipulation to gain greater press coverage). He hated his own face, and possibly race (the multiple cosmetic surgeries and rumored skin bleaching). He was a man with many demons, possibly addictions, and he couldn’t hide for all his trying. I doubt he lived a day without pressure and stress since he was in his teens.



All these things and more are Michael Jackson. He was by definition an icon, a figure too large to be merely like everyone else. He was as gifted as he was troubled. I think he may have been the loneliest person that everyone in the world knew and wanted to be near.

For all his faults and issues, for all the real and imagined deviations and eccentricity, for all the grandeur and splendor he craved and provided to fans, one thing will always be true.

Michael Jackson walked the Earth for 50 years, his footprint has been left on billions of people, and he made the planet overall better in the ways only he could. Such a legacy, such memories, such an inspiration are all things we can be glad of and hope to attain in a small way. I can think of few things better to say of any human being, past or present.

Entertainment Tonight goes too far with Michael Jackson photo

I understand that the death of Michael Jackson is enormous news. There has been nothing else on the cable news networks for the last 2 hours. Every entertainment outlet is searching for a story and angle on this. Including myself to a degree.

But Entertainment Tonight has gone too far. They went to a place that the realm of good taste forbids. Even tabloids tend to not tread this path - at least not hours after the death of a celebrity.

Entertainment Tonight has placed on it's website a photo they claim is the last ever taken of Jackson. Jackson was intibated and on a strecher. Some time shortly after this photo he was dead.

I find photos of dead celebrities to be disgusting. It is an insult and a disrespect. It does not shed new light on the event, it does not inform. And I can imagine the horror it can evoke to the family and friends of the deceased. Especially 2 hours after the news has just broken.

Imagine that if for some reason you were a friend of Jackson and you turn on your TV or computer and that ewas the first thing you saw. Imagine if you are a family member and you get to see that after the wake or funeral. Imagine if you are one of his children some years from now, and you get to see that this was how some exploited your dad after death.

Entertainment Tonight has acted as only scum would in my opinion. I accept that the photo was taken while Jackson was alive, with expectations that he would survive. But ET knew he was dead when they published this photo. So their only decision was to release this photo in an effort to profit off of his death. It's the modern equivalent of grave robbing.

Tabloids and paparazzi act in low manner all the time. They have the least respect, unless a dollar is attached. But this is inexcusable. I mean can't they let the man's memory, family, and friends have even 1 night before they disgustingly hustle for a buck on his grave.

I too am a member of the media. A small part, but still part all the same. And I deplore and am insulted by this desecration of Michael Jackson. The executives that ok'd this decision should get beaten with a stick by the Jackson family.

Maybe I am too sensitive (which may be the first I would be called that) or my morality is too high. But I think the outcry from the public should remind the media that there are limits. That the chase of a buck does not justify everything. That good taste still is more important than a scoop or quickie journalism.

Do you agree?

Michael Jackson death - immediate thoughts

I’m taking a moment to reflect now that I have mentioned that Michael Jackson has died. It is still news that has left me shocked.

Jackson was an icon in every sense. He has affected all of America and the world through the decades, and his loss will be strongly felt. I truly feel bad for his family, friends, and children.

I know that I have been harsh in the past. I have spoken strongly and negatively about Michael Jackson. And I will not apologize for those statements now. But I will make it clear that I have never wished him harm or ill.

Michael Jackson gave the world dozens of songs that we all enjoyed. He helped fuel several industries. He in essence legitimized the music video industry, creating leading edge videos and pushing the artistic limits when no one else was sure it would even take.

He was truly the “King of pop”. No other performer was so scrutinized by the paparazzi, the media, and the public. No other performer could live under such constant pressure, and excel as Jackson did.

He was a man that many loved, and others loved to hate. I don’t think there is a person in the world without some opinion about him. Which is the least statement of how much of an impact he had on all of our lives.

I cannot say more. I cannot fathom this moment clearly, and my writing reflects that I think. I will say more once I gather my thoughts.

Michael Jackson - dead at 50

I am really shocked. This was news that was completely unexpected. Michael Jackson died today at 6:15 EST from a heart attack. He was just 50 years old.

I saw earlier today when news came out that Jackson was being brought to a hospital. Reports at the time said he was not breathing. But I thought this was just a case of exhaustion as he was preparing to launch into 50 concerts later this year. But it seems that the situation was far more severe and dire.

No matter the personal opinions we all may have about the private life of Michael Jackson, there is no question about his abilities as an entertainer. He is among the top of all pop stars, the only male artist to have 13 top 100 hits. His career has spanned 4 decades, and 45 years of his entire life. He brought joy and celebration to tens of millions of fans, across the globe. He was truely a superstar.

I am sad. While I have been a harsh critic of Michael jackson in his life, I too am struck by his passing. I am hoping that his children were not a witness to his heart attack. That they will be well-cared for, and that his will can provide them some level of comfort that the can never replace a father but may ease some difficulties life brings in such a moment.

I give my condolences to all the members of the Jackson family and their friends. The sudden death of a family member is never good news. I hope they can take strength in all the condolences fans will provide at this time.

Michael Jackson is coming to Bel-Air - hide the children

There seems to be no end to the concerns for those in California. First there is the Oscar Grant shooting (murder). Now there is something perhaps equally as disturbing, Michael Jackson.

Jackson has returned to California, moving into Bel-Air. I'd advise any parents out there with young boys to be very afraid. Not that anything has been proven against Jackson. It's just that he is creepy as hell and there is a mountain of questions about him and what he does behind closed doors.

Still you have to wonder how he can afford this new home. Considering he lost Neverland Ranch - much to the dismay of R Kelly I would imagine - got sued by is Arabic friends, had to leave the Middle East rather suddenly, and will be auctioning off many of his possessions in the spring I am bewildered at where his money comes from.

The even greater question at hand though is where are his kids? Has anyone seen them, or even heard about them in years now? Given that Jako is super famous even among celebrities (or is it infamous now) and the fact that he is a bit of a wacko when it comes to his privacy, I am concerned. And if any aspect of the thought of Michael Jackson being a pedophile is correct, people really need to ask this.

Even is his new record album he is planning is better than every song ever made, that does not mean the public should not be concerned about his kids. And why has no one in the media asked how they are doing? Or the paparazzi not taken a picture of them? Come on, the paparazzi invade every celebrities privacy, snapping shot in the most inappropriate place without concern for family, children or occasion.

Yet they are showing civility to Jackson's rarely mentioned children?

And if I were a parent in Bel Air, and Jackson brought his kids over to play with my own kids, I'd have video cameras rolling every second that he was there. Just to be safe I wouldn't leave any of the kids alone. Because by now, Jackson's kids are at least as socially messed up as he is. And that's imagining the best scenario.

It makes me shake my head.

Michael Jackson sells, will R Kelly buy?

The party is over, and nothing says that more than the gates at Neverland Ranch being put up for auction. At least parents will not have to worry about their kids, or at least just a smidge less than before.

Auction you might ask? Yes, the former King of Pop, Michael Jackson has announced that he is having the yardsale of the year (perhaps decade). Over 2000 items will be up for grabs in 2009, including the gloved one's Billie Jean sparkling glove. And the whole thing will be shown on television, with bids accepted both in person and via phone. And to help with the garage sale, some unstated portion of the proceeds will go to MusiCares, a charitable organization that helps musicians in need. [And if I were a musician in need I still would not accept money from Jackson.] The real question though is if anyone will buy.

Besides the fact that 2009 will be a horrible year considering the reported plans of Democrats and President Obama for the economy, there is the fact that Michael Jackson is creepy. He may not be the most famous pedophile in the world, but he does a damn good job of looking like it. And that has hit his pocket.

At 50 years of age the crooner with a voice only eunuchs might emulate might be expected to continue enjoying his past fame and wealth. But it seems that he spent like a king and not an entertainer with bad publicity problems. Thus he has lost his ranch, had to settle a lawsuit, paid unknown amounts to parents of children that visited his private rooms, and who knows what lifestyle the kids he has live under.

Am I a fan of Jackson? Not really since the mid-80's. The absurdity that was his life, and then his maturation to pedophilia (allegedly) just ended it for me. And besides, why be a fan of his when his sister, Janet, is hot, talented, and far less damaged.

So I am not sad to see his possessions sold off to the highest bidder. Nor am I thrilled to learn that he plans to get back into the studio at some point and create another album. I think he will learn that times have changed. The public may accept a lot of things from entertainers - drug use, multiple jail sentences, divorces almost before the wedding, even a degree of bad parenting - but pedophilia is a line in every nation.

Still there is a silver lining in the cards for him. R Kelly hasn't had any records in some time, and he relatively recently beat a pedophilia charge (delayed some 5 years through lawyers). They could do a duet album, dedicated to all the children of the world. That line just creeped me out.

Neverland will never be again. R Kelly though should be up front and center at the auction, supporting his own. And that might just give the fans that don't care about what these apparently lecherous and vile men do to children something to smile about.

Isaiah Washington makes me think Part 2 - 6.29.2007.2

Continued from Isaiah Washington makes me think Part 1...

As for Mr. Richards,
he and Mr. Seinfeld tried to explain how this was meant to be humor. It was just ‘a response to being heckled.’ The news media, which only picked up the story due to the proliferation of a YouTube video of the event, 3 days after the fact, dropped the story in a couple of days. No mention on this has happened since about a week after the event. Mr. Richards also went for counseling, and apologized to several of the patrons at the Laugh Factory that night. There may have also been a cash settlement, but that was never confirmed or followed by the media to my knowledge. [If you know tell me]

In both these cases we see that the media made a big deal and then quickly dropped the story. Both men had huge entertainers stand up for them when the news broke. Neither man had ties to a television or movie studio at the time [Mr. Gibson’s movie was independent and self-owned]. Mr. Gibson seems to have fully recovered. Mr. Richards abilities are unknown.

So is Mr. Washington correct? Well I do have to mention that Mr. Michael Jackson has continued his career since allegations of child molestation. Then again, that is quite different in nature of what happened, and some claim Mr. Jackson may be near bankruptcy. Still there is no question that he has mostly survived the negative media attention. Not that his career is not filled with negative media.

There is also R. Kelly.
5 years after being accused of raping a minor on video tape, his case has yet to see the light of a courtroom. The widely distributed tape is barely ever mentioned anymore, and the father of the victim reportedly now works for R Kelly. He has made record albums and comparatively toned down music videos since, and the media today barely whispers about the case.

Yet I have never heard of the kind of forgiveness that Mr. Gibson or others have received. When comparing apples to apples, as best as can be done, the similarities end. The volume of acts committed by the entertainers and celebrities that the media takes a soft hand to is numerous. The number that this treatment reaches, that are minorities of any type are few.

Mr. Washington seems to not have gotten a fair shake, compared to other entertainers of similar stature and nature. I mean there was a lot said about Ms. Angelina Jolie, before she started traveling and working to improve the lives of children. But even Newsweek had to mention that Mr. Washington is building a school in Sierra Leone. Mr. Washington claims to have been donating to homeless shelters, and working to improve the lives of the downtrodden for many years. Like many African American, and Hispanic/Latino American entertainers and celebrities, like Mr. Chris Gardner of whom the movie Pursuit of Happyness is based, little of these actions has ever been mentioned.

Forgiving Mr. Isaiah Washington for his comments is a personal decision. Whether anyone thinks his comments were vile, crude or ignorant is not my point. But I do wonder why it seems quite apparent that the media seems ready to crucify entertainers and celebrities of color when something that is questionable is done, yet when blatant criminal acts are done by other entertainers [like taking drugs, driving without a liscence, drunk driving, ect] they turn the other cheek repeatedly.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Old bands, water and Wii, and the weird - 1.26.2007.2

While I have pointed out a few odd things overseas, there is no lacking of oddity here at home. Actually some of them are more like acts of stupidity. One example is the DJ’s responsible for the death of a wife and mother in California. Many should have heard by now of the contest where contestants were told to continuously drink as much water as possible without using a restroom. The goal was to win a Wii video game system.

Whether of not this was a dumb idea, or whether the contestants should have been more prepared for the potential consequences, the fact that the DJ’s didn’t care is irresponsible. They stated on air, which has been replayed at various news media outlets, that their only concern was their own legal liability and publicity. They ignored the comments by contestants, and at least one nurse. Thankfully these people, all the ones associated with this program, have been fired. The radio station and its corporate parent Entercom/Sacremento, as well as several individuals are all getting sued.

It’s a shame that sometimes, we do things that are stupid instead of just odd. There is no word I have for what it is when it takes a life.

Someone else I have no words for is Mr. Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson has announced that he is now back in the United States. Parents watch out for your kids. Having traveled the world the quiet re-emergence of Mr. Jackson here gives me pause. It’s been rumored that he is nearly bankrupt, so that may be one reason for the return. Of course where his children may be, and what is there mental state remains unknown. Fans, particularly in Japan, seem to not care about this though. It’s been reported that he is going to be having a ‘fan event’ that will bring in about 990,000 dollars. I don’t know. If all the allegations against the man are true I’d pay that to see him locked up.

In some unique mundane news, it seems that the most of the original Van Halen will be getting back together. It’s about time too. Mr. Sammy Hagar wasn’t bad, but the band was far better with Mr. David Lee Roth. If the deal works out, there could be a limited tour this summer. Of course if the deal is announced before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in March it should make the meeting of Mr. Hagar and Mr. Roth, and Mr. Eddie Van Halen quite interesting. Cross your fingers and we’ll see what happens.

This is what I think, what do you think?